Sir Cyril Smith sex abuse allegations: Police to reinvestigate claims former Liberal Democrat MP molested young boys

Greater Manchester Police said it would be investigating allegations that Smith molested boys at a hostel from 1974 onwards, while Lancashire Police said it will investigate claims before 1974

Sir Cyril Smith (Rex Features)

A second police force is to investigate allegations of sexual abuse against the late Sir Cyril Smith.

Greater Manchester Police said it would examine claims against the former MP for Rochdale made after 1974.

Detectives from Lancashire Police are already looking at evidence from victims who say they were abused by the Liberal politician before that date.

Greater Manchester’s assistant chief constable, Steve Heywood, said the move was to clear up any confusion within the communities affected by the claims.

Rochdale was within the Lancashire Police area until 1974 when it became part of Greater Manchester. But there has been mounting speculation about the MP’s activities stretching back four decades.

“We are examining our records to see what involvement Greater Manchester Police may have had. However, we need to be clear that some of these allegations are up to 30-years-old and predate our computerised records, so it will take some time to establish what, if any, the force’s involvement was,” said Mr Heywood.

Simon Danczuk, the Labour MP for Sir Cyril’s former constituency who died in 2010, revealed details of the MP’s alleged abuse last week during a Commons debate on child sexual exploitation.

He said a number of victims came forward in the wake of the Jimmy Savile affair. Former residents of the Cambridge House hostel, founded by Sir Cyril in the 1960s, have claimed they were beaten on the bare buttocks and fondled by the Parliamentarian. His family have denied the claims and said police investigated but found no evidence of abuse.

Mr Danczuk said some alleged victims had only now come forward in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal and called for a full investigation into the allegations. He described the MP as a “29-stone bully”.